It was an eye opening evening for many folks who came to the "Old World vs. New World" wine tasting held at the Mullis Center May 13. Listening to the comments I found that many believed they liked a certain style of wine only to find out they really preferred the other. The wines were well chosen and gave everyone a good insight into the different styles of wine making. We use the term Old World to describe the style that is prominent in places like Bordeaux France, Piedmont and Tuscany Italy and Rioja Spain. Earthy style wines with emphasis on terrior and tannins. Wines meant to age with a little more rustic edge that shows in the wines youth. Many times Old World style wines show finesse and elegance in their youth, restrained wines that will flourish as they grow older. Old World whites focus more on the fruit rather then manipulation with oak barrels often times showing generous amounts of minerality and acidity.

New World wines on the other hand reflect the wine making style of such new comers as California, Washington, and Australia. The style of New World wine is bigger and bolder showing off the ripeness of the fruit. Fruit forward, spicy and powerful. They can also be silky smooth and elegant but seldom restrained. A side note to this is the fact that some wine makers out of California and Washington prefer the Old World style and do their best to build their wines around this concept. Many have succeeded but they are few and far between. It is safe to say that most who attended the tasting event walked away with a better understanding of their palate preference and a clearer picture of the terms "Old World" and "New World". Here is a brief review of the wines that were presented.

2008 Lange Pinot Gris ... Dundee, Oregon (New World)

One of my personal favorite Oregon Pinot Noir is the Lange Reserve. I was excited to try this Pinot Gris since it had been awhile since I had tasted it. The nose was luscious with notes of honey, melon and mangos. The wine filled the palate with a slight spritz. Notes of sweet peas, celery, peaches and apricots. A really nice effort by this outstanding winery. 90 points

2009 Lucien Albrecht Romanus Pinot Gris ... Alsace, France (Old World)

A very nice bouquet of creamy honey and melons. The creaminess carries through on the palate with elegant notes of apricots and mangos. The fruit is dynamic on the mid-palate yet the wine finishes nice and clean. A wonderful example of what pinot gris can be. 91 points

2008 Cadaretta Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc... Walla Walla, Washington (New World)

I am a big fan of white blends out of Washington State, but like I mentioned to Ted I believe they price them too high. This little gem goes for around $23.00 which would be worth it if it wasn’t for the fact you kind find something of similar quality out of Europe for thirty percent less. That being said, this wine was very nice. Sweet fruit on the nose with notes of lemon, honey and sugar cane. This is a mouthful of wine that is elegant yet powerful. Notes of melon, kiwi and lime come through from beginning to finish. I loved this wine, I just don’t like the price. 90 points

2007 Domaine Barons de Rothschild Semillon / Sauvignon Blanc... Pauillac, France (Old World)

You get the sense of old world right off the bat on the nose. I got raisin bread pudding aromas with hints of Pinesol, (Yes, the kitchen cleaner!) which is not always a bad thing, just a descriptor. As you might expect, the palate feel was a lot leaner with notes of lemon, ginger and pine. Very curious wine with interesting flavors on the palate. This wine is quite delicious and I liked it. For those who want to break into white Bordeaux this would not be the place to start. For the wine geeks out there looking for a good "Old World" style white, this will do the trick. 88 points

2008 Fess Parker Chardonnay... Santa Barbara, California (New World)

This was a tough one, because I felt this wine leaned closer to White Burgundy more then I have ever experienced from this label before. Very subdued on the nose with tropical fruit notes and true chardonnay aromas, which meant it wasn’t dominated by a lot of oak. The flavors were elegant and creamy with notes of fig and white peaches. Very balanced and well made, this chardonnay could be mistaken for old world with a hint of California sunshine. 89 points

2009 Yalumba "Y" series Unwooded Chardonnay... South Australia (Old World)

Ted brought this wine in from Australia as Old World because it is unoaked which is more common in Old World style wines and rarely if ever seen in the New World approach. I was impressed with this wine simply for the fact that it did not show that "Fat" fruit that is so common in Australian wines. This chardonnay had a very clean and crisp nose which seemed to beg for shellfish. The palate was a little restrained showing notes of banana, papaya and mango. This chard had good acid and a clean finish. Slightly thin on the mid-palate and finish but this did not take away too much from this well made chardonnay that WAS done in and Old World style. 89 points

2007 Grochau Cellars Pinot Noir... Willamette Valley, Oregon (New World)

This was certainly a nice surprise, and a good example of New World style pinot noir without the addition of syrah. I know that many Oregon pinot producers shoot for the Burgundian style of pinot and some do reach that although it is nearly impossible without the terrior of France. This pinot was a little bigger nose with notes of Asian spice and toast. Spicy cherry, anise and sweet vanilla notes filled the palate from start to finish with hints of green herbs on the back end. This wine had an amazingly long and pleasing finish. 92 points

2007 Domaine du Prieure Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune... Burgundy, France (Old World)

This pinot had what I call Old World stink and earth on the nose. This is not as unpleasant as it may sound, and is a profile that I look for in many wines from the Old World. This wine had a bouquet of earthy cherry, hints of burnt match and forest floor but fresh, like standing in the forest after a rainfall and the breeze is blowing through the trees. Good acid on the palate which is typical of Old World style pinot noir. Notes of tart raspberries, sour cherries hints of spice on the back side. For those who love Old World Burgundy this is the bomb, and the price tag is crazy good rolling in at about eighteen bucks. 88-89 points

Pedator "Old Vines" Lodi Fruit Zinfandel... St. Helena, California (New World)

This is everything you would expect from a New World style zinfandel. Big, powerful and lots of fruit. This wine smelled just like beef jerky marinated in black raspberry juice. The wine filled the palate with huge ripe notes of raspberries and strawberries. Nice black pepper hits throughout the palate with dashes of black licorice. This zin coated the palate and had some nice honied beef jerky notes on the finish. Not my personal favorite style but this is one that many will like. 89 points

2007 Cantele Primitivo... Apulia, Italy (Old World)

I am sure that most of you know this, Primitivo is closely linked genetically to zinfandel if they are not one and the same. Many times the only give-away is the intensity of fruit, other then that the styles of wine making and terrior have a definite affect on the outcome.

Showing restrained oak and cherry tones on the nose which follow through on the palate. Much fuller in the mouth then on the nose this wine has dark sexy fruit notes with over-tones of cedar. This wine has a lot to offer with layers of flavor that come out only after evaluation. Unlike it’s New World counterpart that slaps you in the face and says "Hey, pay attention I’m talking here!" this wine seduces you and before you know it your begging for more. 90 points

Torbreck "WoodCutters" Shiraz... Barossa Valley, Australia (New World)

I was impressed with this effort because it had self control. Many a shiraz that come out of Barossa are big jammy over-the-top wines. These have a place and I enjoy them but it is not often that you find one from this area that is as balanced as the Torbreck "WoodCutters". When I smelled this wine it was a dead ringer for minestrone soup broth. Nice balance, luring you into a taste of wine that is simply quite amazing. It is sad to see a decline in Australian wine sales nationwide when you put your lips to this wine knowing that many will over-look it. Folks, this is not Yellow Tail or anything close. Intense dark fruit notes that never get out of control. Nice acidity and hints of mocha and dark fruits backed by traces of spice and dusted with bittersweet chocolate. The finish just does not quit. 91 points

Chateau Val Joanis Syrah... Cotes du Luberon, France (Old World)

A nice example of Old World syrah with a soft edge. This wine is made to be consumed over the next couple of years. A nose of plums and black currants leading into a silky smooth effort that shows hints of garrigue and black plum with dashes of spice. This wine reminded me in a lot of ways of a well made Washington State syrah with some of that earthiness you get from this region of France. 89 points

Baer Winery "Ursa"’... Woodinville, Washington (New World)

Smooth, polished and a touch decadent might be the best way to start a description of this wine. Hints of herbs and red fruits on the nose, the wine hits your palate with a statement. Currants, plum and white pepper notes penetrate the palate on a beam of nicely woven acidity that carries the fruit to the finish that is long and balanced. 50% merlot, 24% cabernet franc, 17% cabernet sauvignon, 7% malbec and 2% petit verdot. A Washington Bordeaux blend that will blow you out of the water but get ready to spend a little, it goes for around forty bucks. 92 points

Chateau Guiraud Cheval-Blanc Cotes du Borg... Bordeaux, France (Old World)

This is a "No Kidding" Old World Bordeaux rouge. Not influence by Robert Parker Jr. at all! Delicate on the palate with notes of leather, plums, light cherry notes along with some earthy mushroom tones. This wine has a lot of finesse and is not for the person looking for a big style red. The tannins are light and the finish is a little longer then you might expect. 87 points

Vistalba Corte C Malbec/Merlot ... Mendoza, Argentina (Transition)

We labeled this a transition wine, because we felt it was halfway between "Old World" and "New World". Like an "Old World" wine this one had a little whiff of stink on the nose mixed with raspberries and cherries. Big ripe fruit on the palate, dark fruit notes blended with hits of pepper. The fruit carries through nicely on the mid-palate with sweet tannins and what seemed like hits of bittersweet chocolate and a pleasing long finish. I have to say that this was a fantastic wine especially for the price. 90 points

Everyone likes to know which wines were the most popular with the tasters and at this event the top three were...............

Top White: The Yalumba Unwooded Chardonnay was the crowd favorite. I happen to agree on this one. It had been awhile since I had tried this wine and I thought it is showing very nicely.

Top Red: Vistalba Corte C Malbec/Merlot. I have to admit that this was one of my favorites. A very nice surprise since the last vintage I tried was not so good. I am going with this one at the store so that more folks get a crack at it.

Honorable mention goes to the Predator Zinfandel. The crowd loved this wine! This is where I was surprised and not surprised. This is a big jammy zin with some interesting beef jerky notes. Not my style, but I could see why some would like it. So, I was surprised and not surprised. A lot of peeps jumped on the great price being offered and it is a wine I will give serious consideration to for the store.

There you go. I want to apologize for posting this so late, but I have been a little disorganized this week for some reason, leaving my tasting notes at work, then leaving my list of wines and prices at work, then forgetting to write down vintages. (You may notice that couple were left out because I couldn’t wait any longer to post this.) All in all it was another great tasting and a good theme, giving me some ideas for future tasting events. I was happy to see so many attend the event and I look forward to the tasting season finale in June.